Chapter 182: When the Spring Comes and Blooms (2)

[Humans fear that child and call it a monster, but it is closer to a Fairy instead of a monster. The reason why it looks like that is because it belongs to the underworld! Still, it takes its work really seriously, and sometimes listens to our requests! At least, it won’t take lives for no reason. Really, it isn’t a bad child! Hehehe.]

“…”

When the two knights heard that, they didn’t know if they should be surprised or sympathize with the creature.

Even if they chose the former, they still didn’t know which part they should be surprised at; the fact that Dullahan was actually a Fairy, or the fact that the Spring Fairy treated it like an actual child and made it run her errands to her heart’s content.

Although, after seeing a glimpse of the power that the Fairy possessed, there was something that Lee Han couldn’t help but feel curious about.

“…I don’t understand one thing, Spring Fairy. How did the magic freaks capture you in the first place? You have that much power, you could just subdue them before they capture you.”

“Hey, watch your mouth, you blasphemous thug!”

“I’m just asking a question!!”

For some reason, the Spring Fairy was incapable of directly harming humans. However, that meant she could handle them indirectly if she wanted to.

If she had turned the mages’ magic power into the nutrients like when she was first released from her seal, or if she had simply summoned Dullahan in the first place, most of the mages would have lost their heads, including the shut-in who had been living for 400 years.

Which begged the question, why did she let herself get caught without putting up a fight?

[You’re curious about that, huh? Also, I’m not someone great. You don’t need to be so mindful around me.]

The Spring Fairy was surprisingly easygoing.

Lee Han had been extremely careful when talking to her, but she told her that he could be at ease with her.

[To put it shortly, the way we use our power is tricky.]

“??”

[You see, we can’t exercise our authority beyond our role. If we aren’t careful, the natural ecosystem could just ‘collapse’.]

She shrugged her shoulders before continuing.

[There are also ‘restrictions’ and ‘promises’ that the gods have bestowed upon us. Well, even if it isn’t because of those, we still can’t easily use our power. To put it simply, if we use our power willy-nilly, a really, really ‘bad thing’ will happen.]

“…”

Lee Han was too afraid to ask what she meant by that. But, he was sure the answer he’d hear would surpass even the worst of his imagination.

[Even that kid has to fulfill many conditions and restrictions to use its power in this world. It can only use its power on the dead for one, but that’s also why it accepted our request.]

“Then you as well…”

[I told you. ‘I’m grateful to you’. If you hadn’t punished the mages, we wouldn’t have been able to use our power against them. To put it in a way that you can understand… It’s because your actions established the cause-and-effect that let us use our powers!]

The Spring Fairy drew a circle with her fingers.

Whoosh-!

An aurora trailed her finger, making a complete circle. It seemed that she was explaining the cycles and laws of the world in her own way.

It was a complicated concept, but Lee Han roughly understood it.

So the reason why the Fairies could help us is because we were punishing the magic freaks and indirectly became their [Helper]?

Now that he thought about it again, the Fairies only nullified the freaks’ magic or turned their corpses into nutrients; they never directly caused the freaks harm.

Even though they were angry, they showed their patience by not attacking the magic freaks directly. They held themselves back because they didn’t want to harm the whole world out of anger.

Honestly, that’s just scary…

The reason why they had restrictions on exercising their power was because they were so strong that they could easily overturn the laws of nature.

Understanding that, it was only natural that Lee Han’s face turned pale.

Still…

At the same time, they’re kind…

Their kindness, sense of mercy, and nobility felt natural. On top of that, they had an aura that made others naturally respect them.

If they really want to, they could just use their power.

While it was true that they were bound by restrictions and promises, Lee Han believed that they were still able to use their power whenever they wished. As long as they put their minds into it, they could certainly harm humans directly.

─And yet they didn’t do that.

They were aware that if they were to use their power recklessly, the human world could get destroyed. Now he understood why people revered them.

Those beings had a great Mystic that would make them qualify as gods, but they never used that power recklessly. At first glance, they seemed like innocent children, but it couldn’t be further away from the truth. They were a race that was more thoughtful and compassionate than any other.

Really, I can see why people thought of them as gods.

Seeing how compassionate and noble they were, if anything, it would be strange if the ancient humans didn’t revere them.

Even I grow to respect them now…

For the first time in his life, Lee Han judged someone as noble AND divine.

Great Fairy.

He realized why they had such a title.

“Amazing… Really…”

Lee Han nodded his head with a hum.

And hearing his words…

[S-Stop, it’s embarrassing! It’s been a long time since the last time someone praised me like that…]

“…?”

[Really, you are too kind, hahaha!]

“…I’m asking this just in case, but do Fairies have the ability to read people’s minds?”

He didn’t even utter his thoughts out loud, but she already looked so embarrassed.

To his question, the Spring Fairy…

[That’s a secret]

“…”

Covered her mouth with her index finger while winking. Seeing that, Lee Han’s expression crumpled.

…Why are there so many mind readers around me? Also, why are they all women?!

For him, the Fairy’s reaction was already enough as an answer.

Gallop-! Gallop-!

The two knights’ gazes were fixed at the headless knight and its horse going further away.

“…”

For some reason, they both had a feeling that a day when they’d clash with it would come. They didn’t know how or why, they just felt that way.

Then…

[——.]

As if showing that they weren’t the only ones thinking so, the headless knight’s blazing blue eyes turned towards them. Just the spirit it exuded made their whole body tingle, however, they didn’t avert their gazes. They didn’t care if it was the Death Harvester or whatever, if they really were going to fight in the future, ‘they’d win no matter what’.

“I’ll be looking forward to our next meeting.”

[——-.]

Hearing Lee Han’s provocative remark, the Dullahan’s body seemed to flinch.

As if it was smiling in response.

Gallop-! Gallop-!

It moved away after that, carrying the hundreds of souls it had harvested.

Leaving the knights who could only follow its figure with their eyes.

Gallop-! Gallop-!

Before long, its figure disappeared among the mist that enveloped its body out of nowhere.

The moment its presence completely disappeared, the two knights…

Thud…!

“…Damn, I feel so tired…”

“You ignorant thug…! Why did you provoke it?!”

“Huh? Uh, well… Because that feels like the cooler thing to do at the time?”

“…You crazy fuck.”

“…Ugh.”

Slumped down on the floor, they complained of their fatigue. They just fought a fierce battle, so it was only natural that they felt so exhausted after facing a being with such a strong presence. In fact, their bodies had already been riddled with wounds before the Dullahan came, and now it became even more so. Naturally, they sprawled down, wishing nothing but to faint right away.

“…This is serious.”

Derrick, who approached them, grimaced.

After activating his [Medical Skill – Examination], he let out the following words.

“Torn muscles, snapped tendons, bones… Just how were you guys able to move…?”

The more he examined them, the more speechless he became. Their injuries were the kind of injuries that wouldn’t be weird if they suddenly drop dead right now.

Ironically, the injuries that Derrick listed were on the lighter side.

“…Your insides are a mess. Instructor, your body seems like you have gunpowder explode inside you, while Sir Duran looks like he has been tortured for several days. Just how…”

If Derrick had chosen to become a doctor, he’d have risen to be a great doctor due to how he was able to examine their conditions so accurately.

In any case, their injuries were serious, and they needed surgery right away, the kind of surgery that had a small chance of recovery no less. In order to increase the success rate of the surgery even a little, he had to call a priest and ask them to pour out their Divine Power throughout the surgery.

“…I’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep.”

“Same.”

“…There’s a higher chance that you guys won’t wake up from your sleep.”

Of course, if they were ‘normal people,’ this kind of injury would be fatal, but they weren’t. They were strong and tenacious. If they rest for about half a year, they’d completely recover.

However, the two knights weren’t the type of people who could just stay still for half a year.

These two are workaholics. You’d think that someone would make them chew thorns if they don’t work…

Those two wouldn’t admit it, but Derrick knew that they were workaholics to the extreme.

“Ah, we need to go back quickly. There are only 3 days left in the vacation…”

…This one in particular, is helpless.

“Please, just rest.”

Derrick muttered, thinking about using his Skill.

For now, let’s just use First Aid—

[Don’t do that.]

“…”

[Don’t take away my work, hehehe~]

“Y-Yes…”

W-When did she—?!

The Spring Fairy, who had been quietly standing behind him, cast a meaningful glance at him.

[Ah… I see. You are someone who was called by ‘her’, huh?]

“!!?”

[Hehehe, don’t worry, I won’t blabber about people’s secrets. I just find yours interesting.]

“…”

Gulp…

Derrick swallowed dryly.

A-As expected of a Fairy…

I-It knows everything, huh…?

He felt that there was nothing he could hide from it.

Not only that…

[Those two people are also interesting. Hehehe, ‘she’ really had done something interesting this time. Well, things like this do happen sometimes.]

“I-If it happens sometimes…”

Derrick mustered up the courage to ask. He was wondering what she meant by ‘sometimes’.

[I’m talking about cases like yours. They happen once every few hundred years. It’s all for the sake of making this world richer and more fun. In human terms, it should be something like ‘events’ or ‘festivals’.]

“…”

Every hundred years is ‘sometimes’ according to them?

[Ah, don’t worry, the gods aren’t manipulating or using your fate. After all, the world becomes boring when they interfere. That’s why they would often just watch it flow naturally.]

“…”

[Hehehe.]

“I don’t know if I should feel angry about this…”

[The world is meant to be enjoyed! You’ll only lose out if you don’t, so cheer up!]

“…”

Seeing the Fairy cutely raising both hands with a beautiful smile, as if cheering, Derrick became unable to control his expression.

Still, no matter how cute she is, her age…

[Do you want me to get mad?]

“I-I’m sorry…”

Derrick immediately banged his head to the ground.

“…Stop bothering my kid.”

[But he’s so cute!]

Lee Han grumbled why he stared at the Status Window guy making a wonsan bombing raid posture on the ground.

Meanwhile, the Fairy just smiled playfully at him.

…Now I see why they said Fairies are born mischievous.

“It’s fine. You don’t have to treat us. We can figure this out ourselves…”

[Your lifespan has decreased a bit.]

“…”

[It happened because you were trying to save us. So, it’s only right that we repay you.]

“No, this…”

Lee Han had a lot to argue about. Like, he didn’t regret doing it, or he didn’t exactly do it to rescue her.

Moreover, he could easily replenish his lifespan by getting a few elixirs from the princess, so he really didn’t think it was a big—

Slap-!

[You are talking too much.]

“W-Wait— Heup?!”

Lee Han was soon caught without being able to move. The Fairy was just hugging him, but he was frozen without being able to fight back at all.

Then…

“Heup!”

“Umm.”

“…Wow.”

…His lips were stolen.

The knight, who had been saving his ‘first’ for 30 years, ironically got that ‘first’ stolen by a Fairy, not a human.